I am always chilled and astonished
by the would-be writers who ask
me for advice and admit,
quite blithely, that they “don’t have
time to read.” This is like a guy
starting up Mount Everest saying
that he didn’t have time to buy
any rope or pitons.

Yeah, I know you’re not supposed to do that, but far too many authors underestimate the power of the physical design of a book. Today more than ever, the look and feel may not tell you much about the quality of writing or depth of thought put into a book, but they do...

It’s easier to persist
with commas if you know
you’re engaged in some
fundamentally important
human activity that has
very great consequences
for your full development
as a human being.